Classroom Verbal Behavior and Learning Opportunities in Selected Secondary School EFL Classroom
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Date
2000-06
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Addis Ababa Universiy
Abstract
This is study was designed to describe and ex pl ain the nature of the verbal behavior used in
English classes in se lected secondary schools. The need for describing and explaining the
nature of the verbal behav ior used in a lesson arose from the need to get insight into the
nature of the potential learning opportunities that can be created by the verbal beha viors
used during a lesson.
The subj ects of the study were grade 9 Engli sh teachers and the ir students. Two teachers
who had a BA level qualification in Engli sh teaching were selected from two government
senior secondary schools in Addis Ababa. Both teachers were teaching the new English
textbook (English for Ethiopia) when the data was collected. The data was collec ted in the
same academic year (1997/98) in which the new textbook was introduced to grade 9.
Two groups of students ('strong' and ' weak ') were selected from the two teachers' classes
to write diaries on their English lessons for three weeks. Classifyin g students into 'strong'
and 'weak' group was made by the teachers themselves on the bas is of thei r perceptions of
the extent of the students' participation in English classes.
Lesson transcript data was the core data used in the study. Grammar and vocabulary lessons
taught by the teachers were audio-taped. The audio-taped lessons were transcribed, analysed
and interpreted. Supplementary data were also obtained from class room observation,
teacher interviews and student diari es.
The find ings of the study indicate that the classroom discourse moves, structu.ring,
soliciting, responding and reacting are in place as was noted by the previous studies made
in other contexts. Except for the responding move, the other three moves are restricted to
the teachers.
Further analysis of the transcript data shows that teacher soliciting behavior is the recurrent
verbal behavior used in both lesson types whi le the investigation of the nature of the solic its
indicates that the solicits set the students tasks that do not require extended interactive
work. This has limited the students' verbal behavior to single words, phrases, and
single/simple sentences.
The teachers' informing behavior, their explanation behavior in particular, has been noted
to have the potential to leave the students' mind in confusion. In addition, the study has
shown the teachers' feedback behavior to be tending to have a prescriptive nature. This
means that they emphasize what ought to be said more than what the students could say to
communicate using the target language they are learning.
Relevant conclusions were drawn from the findings of the study. Implications for future
study were also suggested.
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Learning Opportunities